ABSTRACT
Inertia and motion, static and dynamic are fundamental categories with which to begin a sociological approach to history. With the Renaissance the economic and thus the social emphasis moves into the town: from the conservative to the liberal, for the town is a changeable and changing element. The spirit of capitalism which begins to rule the modern world with the Renaissance deprives the world of the divine element in order to make it more real. The culture of Renaissance Italy, and only Italy knew a genuine Renaissance, contained from the very beginning certain aristocratic elements and tended to emphasize them increasingly. Thus the typological importance of the Renaissance is that it marks the first cultural and social breach between the Middle Ages and modern times: it is a typical early stage of the modern age. The bourgeoisie of the Renaissance had a strong sense of what would enhance its power; its rationalism served it without ever endangering its position.
